The acai berry is the most recent super fruit to hit the market and the acai nutritional statistic tell you why. Whether you saw it on television talk shows or in the supplements aisle, you have no doubt heard it touted as the greatest food to have come along in quite some time. People have begun exploring the acai berry as a treatment for countless ailments and illnesses. And when you look at the acai nutrition facts, it is easy to see why they think this little berry could be so

The Powerful Antioxidant

If you’re paying any attention at all to many of the leading diseases present in our society today, you’ve most likely come across the terms free radical and antioxidant. These are like the good and evil in our bodies, the former causing the diseases and the latter combating its effects. Free radicals are produced in the body even while we go about our daily activities. These are naturally produced atoms that lack an electron pair, and they go about stealing electron from other atoms, which in turn cause other atoms to turn into free radicals. Now in low levels, free radicals are tolerable in the body but an overabundance of them can trigger a host of illnesses including some of the most serious ones like cancer and heart diseases. Antioxidants slow down the negative effects of free radicals by providing that much-needed electron.

What makes acai berry really stand out is its antioxidant content which measures far above all other fruits. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a system which scores a type of food on its antioxidant level — the higher the number, the greater the antioxidant content. For instance, the avocado only measures 19 on the ORAC and yet is known to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. With a 94 ORAC score, Cranberries have long been called super fruit. Acai berry on the other hand, scores an amazing 610 ORAC count. Now let’s see other fruits even come close to that.

Other Healthy Facts About the Acai Berry

The fact is that most fruits are good for you. And while acai berries rank the highest in the ORAC chart, that isn’t where they stop. Like most fruits, they are a good source of fiber. The skin of the acai berry also contains compounds called anthocyanins. Studied as part of The French Paradox, these compounds are believed to support a healthy heart and reduce occurrences of coronary heart disease, a major problem in America. Acai nutritional studies also show that acai berries are rich in unsaturated fats. These good fats provide the body with a source of essential fatty acids. Some, such as Omega-6, cannot be produced by the body and must come from a food source.

Is the Acai Berry Deserving of the Title of Super Fruit?

If the acai berry doesn’t constitute a super fruit, what does? It contains many of the healthy properties of other fruits, in addition to astronomical levels of antioxidants. While you will likely never get to have a fresh acai berry, unless you visit Brazil, you can get all the nutrition from pure acai supplements. If you obtain a high quality supplement, you can experience the benefits of acai for yourself. The acai berry is one of the most beneficial foods you can eat, the acai nutrition facts don’t lie.